Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
Twitter has been a spectacle since Elon Musk was forced into completing the $44 billion deal that put him in ownership of it. In the wake of that takeover, Musk has turned the company inside out, laying off thousands of employees, removing leadership, and even firing tech staff for perceived as critical of his new direction with the company. Now, it seems those still working at Twitter have a choice to make: Commit to “hardcore” work on Twitter or take severance and leave the company, and all employees must make their decisions this week.
Elon Musk reportedly sent out an email putting the above decision on the table for all Twitter employees, as reported by the Washington Post. The email was sent at around midnight on November 16, 2022, and linked to an online form in which all staff was asked to submit their choice.
“If you are sure that you want to be part of the new Twitter, please click yes on the link below,” Musk said in the email. “[Twitter] will need to be extremely hardcore. This will mean working long hours at high intensity,” he said. “Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade.
This email comes amid chaotic times within the Twitter workforce. Elon Musk had already moved to lay off thousands of Twitter employees shortly after taking over the company. Additionally, the CISO, Chief Privacy Officer and Chief Compliance Officer also resigned in the wake of Elon Musk’s moves with the company. Even Twitter Head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth quit the company after having been initially supportive and optimistic that Twitter would be in a better place after matters settled from the transition to Musk’s leadership.
It's also very possible that at this point, Elon Musk is trying to cover himself and remove liability on further firings after the last round of layoffs brought about a possible class-action lawsuit in California and could be followed by further legal action in other regions affected by Elon Musk’s firings. With his decision to cut remote work and force employees to return to offices, it’s likely that a large portion of further Twitter staff will simply be forced to leave the company.
With more tangles in the system such as the delay of Twitter Blue verification, the situation under Elon Musk’s Twitter continues to look like it will get more complicated before it shows any sign of smoothing out. Stay tuned as we continue to follow with further updates.